Amish schoolteacher Leah Beiler is content nurturing her young "scholars" and helping out on her large family's Pennsylvania farm in Pleasant Valley. She has long since recovered from the defection of her former fianci Johnny Kile, who left the Amish community several years ago. But now Johnny has returned. Working at a local medical clinic on research into inherited diseases common among the Amish, he asks for Leah's help in circumventing his "shunned" status and reuniting him with his family, in particular with his twin, Rachel, who is also Leah's best friend. Johnny also encourages Leah to help out at the clinic, working as a liaison with the Amish community. Is Johnny secretly hoping to convince Leah to leave the community and join him in an "English" life together?

Leah's Choice Discussion Questions: Marta Perry

1. Can you understand the conflict Leah faces when Johnny comes back into her life? Have you ever struggled to balance the person you were in the past with the person you’ve become?

2. In the beginning of the story, Leah feels that her life’s pattern is set, only to find she’s constantly being challenged by change. Has this ever happened to you? How did you deal with it?

3. Leah’s relationship with her mother is important to her, and she goes to great lengths to try and protect her. Do you think she is right in that?

4. Leah’s growing dedication to Daniel’s children makes her consider the possibility of a marriage without love. Do you understand what drives her?

5. Daniel believes that he has dealt with his grief and anger toward his late wife, only to discover that he hasn’t deal with it at all. What experiences have you had of God’s help in time of grief and despair?

6. A favorite passage of scripture among the Plain People is from Micah 6:8. What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. How does this passage affect the way you live?

7. Leah is used to living in a community in which love and acceptance are the norm. When she begins volunteering at the clinic, she finds a different world. Have you had the experience of feeling like a fish out of water in a new place? Who made you feel welcome?

8. Leah finds that her differences are not always accepted by people at the clinic. Have you ever felt that your beliefs were not respected by the people you had to work with? How did you deal with that?

9. What does it mean to walk humbly with your God, as the scripture verse says? The Amish put great stress on humility, as is shown by their effort to avoid making any one person look better than another. Do you think they have a point in that?

10. One of the elements of Amish life shown in the story is the way they support each other. In what ways do you provide support to your brothers and sisters in Christ?

11. Leah realizes that Johnny is trying to apply the world’s standards to the Amish community, even though he was raised Amish. How might he have handled the situation better?

12. Do you understand why John’s parents feel they have to maintain the bann?

13. Which character in the story do you feel is living the most Christ-like life? Why?

14. How did Lydia deal with her movement from the Amish world to the English one? Are she and John alike in that? What do you think will happen to Anna as she moves into the English world?

15. Does the story make you understand the choice Leah makes at the end? The choices made by Daniel? By Anna? Why or why not?